A 17 million-to-one event happened at Ilkley Golf Club on Saturday June 21 – when three players made holes-in-one while playing in the same competition.
Jack Winterbottom – aged 16 and playing off a handicap of 5.4 – achieved his ace on the third hole. Meanwhile, Thomas Ridgeway – aged 19 and playing off a handicap of 0.4, and Ross McMillan – aged 28 and playing off a handicap of 11.9 – celebrated holing their tee shots on the fifth hole.
According to the National Hole-In-One Registry, the chances of one amateur scoring a hole-in-one are 12,500 to one. The chances of three players making a hole-in-one on the same day, at the same course and in the same competition, has been estimated at 17 million-to-one. It is also estimated that if all the members played every day, it would happen once every 500 years.
The remarkable run of aces doesn’t end there – as two more were recorded earlier that week. On Wednesday, visitor Guy Hammond, who was playing a charity golf day, had a hole-in-one at the 15th hole. On Friday, member Oliver Moulton, playing in a Summer Solstice friendly competition, also celebrated an ace on the 15th.
“What an incredible week we had,” said Ilkley captain Nick Ryle. “It started well with two holes-in-one, but this was simply the pre-cursor to something quite extraordinary. I am so pleased for the three young guys – Jack, Thomas and Ross – as they are now part of an historic achievement and one which they will be able to talk about for many years.”
